Associates

We collaborate regularly with several specialist consultants and companies on different projects

Helen Butterworth

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Helen is a practical and dedicated researcher and administrator with excellent organisational skills, enthusiasm and passion for her work. She has extensive experience in the desk research required for HLF submissions, including many Activity Plans. She has prepared market assessments, researched strategic policy contexts, and undertaken competitor and comparator studies for museums, archives, parks and gardens.

Alis Templeton

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Alis has extensive experience in audience research, consultation and marketing. Before returning to freelance consultancy work, she held the post of Marketing Manager at Bishopsgate Institute, where she led on audience research and brand development for a £7.1 million capital project. Previous to this she undertook research, marketing and audience development work for a range of clients across the cultural sector. Alis has recently undertaken summative evaluation for Historic Royal Palaces and visitor research for HLF Activity Plans for Winchester Cathedral, Brooklands Museum, Windermere Steamboat Museum, St. Mary’s Church, Ickworth in Suffolk and for Bentley Priory Battle of Britain Trust. Alis has a Professional Diploma in Marketing and the Advanced Certificate in Market Research, and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Market Research Society, Arts Marketing Association and Museums Association.

Alison Porter

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Alison is an experienced heritage professional who works across a broad range of organisations including museums and archives, industrial sites, heritage centres and historic buildings. She is a fully qualified secondary teacher and has taught young people 11-18 years old, and undergraduate and postgraduate students. Her former heritage roles include Education Unit Manager and Audience Development Manager at the Science Museum, where she was responsible for the management and on-going development of the popular interactive galleries, the establishment of an outreach department and over 300,000 schools visits per annum. She has also worked as Museum Development Officer at MLA London and as a Heritage Consultant for over ten years. Drawing on her previous experience and knowledge, Alison is committed to widening participation in the heritage sector and to lifelong learning, and finding ways to remove barriers to engagement. Alison has worked with volunteer-led, local authority, independent and national heritage and arts organisations. Alison is an HLF expert advisor and project mentor.

Christina Brooks

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Christina has extensive experience working with museums and other heritage organisations in their planning, research and development projects, most often for regional agencies as well as local authorities and charities. She is a museums and heritage consultant with specialist skills and experience in sustainable heritage management, consultation and audience development. In recent years Christina has organised a number of major consultation programmes on behalf of a range of clients – the majority for HLF projects, all of which have been successful. These have included the full range of methodologies commonly employed in such exercises: face to face interviews, workshops, focus groups, self-completion questionnaires; postal and email questionnaire surveys and on-site and off-site interviewing of users and non-users. Recent clients have included London Borough of Sutton, Guildford Cathedral, All Saints Kingston, National Museum of the Royal Navy, Wymondham Abbey, Wiltshire Museum Salisbury and the Russell Cotes Art Gallery and Museum.

Emma Courtney

- COURTNEY CONSULTING -

Emma is a Chartered Marketer, full member of the Market Research Society and the Association for Heritage Interpretation. She has extensive experience and success in HLF audience development, community engagement and activity planning and has worked in this capacity on 34 successful HLF projects since 2007. The majority of these projects have been working in collaboration with Julia Holberry.
When not producing HLF Activity Plans, Emma specialises in market research, advocacy and brand development and integrated communications strategies for both commercial and cultural sector clients including Historic Royal Palaces, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, The Old Vic Theatre, the National Trust, Bath University, Dolby and AQL Telecoms. Emma’s proven experience and expertise in research methodologies, visitor experience, brand, destination marketing and Public Relations will deliver further added value to your process and final Activity Plan.

Elizabeth Newbery

- NEWBERY & ENGLAND -

Elizabeth specialises in learning, interpretation and publishing for arts and heritage sites. Elizabeth will oversee the formal learning consultation, developing the education programme and inputting into the interpretation development. Elizabeth views the site as a nucleus of stories to engage people, whether through displays, exhibitions, art, publications, trails, virtual worlds or formal learning programmes. She has the ability to synthesize and separate out story strands and present them in an engaging, enjoyable and informative way, whether to informed audiences, casual visitors or school children.

Claire Adler

- Heritage Consultant: Learning, Community, Development -

Claire Adler is a Museum and Heritage Consultant who specialises in working as an Expert Adviser on Access and Learning for the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). She monitors and mentor projects for the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and project manages projects to gain substantial HLF funding. She researches and writes HLF Activity Plans for successful HLF Heritage Grants; creates successful community and partnership projects with new audiences for museums; works as a Critical Friend on projects to help museums, community groups, churches and special interest groups to develop their projects to the highest standards and delivers training about museum development, community engagement and co-creations for local, regional and national organisations.

Elizabeth Oxborrow-Cowan

- Consultant Archivist -

Elizabeth is a professionally qualified archivist and management consultant. She is a very experienced archivist who has run her own consultancy since 2003 with clients right across the UK, both public and private. In her work Elizabeth advises on a wide range of issues around managing archive collections including strategic development, collecting and appraisal, physical and intellectual management and access, both on-site and remotely. Elizabeth is very familiar with HLF processes. She has been involved in numerous successful HLF bids, including Hull History Centre and York City Archives, and she is an Expert Adviser and Mentor to the HLF.

Mark Lewis

- LEVITT BERNSTEIN -

Mark is an Associate Director of Levitt Bernstein and has worked on many cultural projects from inception/options appraisal through to completion, most of which have been listed buildings. Mark’s work includes museum, art gallery, library, theatre and concert hall buildings. His particular skill is in the quick assimilation of complex briefs and production of imaginative and appropriate design responses. Mark will lead on the analysis of the site options and their fit to your space and service brief and will analyse the implications of the options with Julia and the QS. Much of Mark’s work includes the sensitive adaptation of historic buildings to better meet today’s expectations for comfort, audience engagement, accessibility and sustainability.

- OUTSIDE STUDIOS -

Outside Studios is a full service interpretation development and delivery company with a special interest in high quality interpretation in outdoor environments. Founded in 2008, Outside Studios brings together directors Dug Mackie and Catherine Halcrow, who together have almost 40 years of experience in the sector, delivering interpretation ranging from interactive museum galleries to outdoor arts installations. Particular strengths include the planning of innovative interpretation to deliver learning and communication outcomes, exceptional audience awareness, and a hands-on approach to the production phase which ensures effective and high quality results. Clients include the National Trust, Forestry Commission, RSPB, English Heritage and Kew Gardens. Individual CVs and examples of our work are included below.

Simon Leach

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Simon Leach founded Simon Leach Design with 20 years’ experience as a design consultant working in the museums and heritage sector. The company brings together specialists in graphic design, architecture, heritage planning, narrative environments, education and activity planning. Together with graphic designer and long-term associate David Sudlow, they have a solid working foundation with a proven track record designing for both listed buildings and specially commissioned new architecture. Their team has expert knowledge of all aspects of the design and build process, delivering large and small scale projects, from concept through to installation. Simon has lead design teams for several large-scale HLF-funded projects, and is highly experienced in both conceiving and delivering impressive and substantial visitor experiences, in addition to coordinating complex and varied information to a wide group of professionals. Simon Leach Design provide a complete suite of professional services, from initial consultation and research, to interpretation planning, content organisation, script writing, 3-dimensional design, graphic design and audio/visual design. In addition, they have experience in quantity surveying, project management and planning.